Scary Monsters
by Skaoi
Summary: "If you could get out before, Lucifer, why did you wait so long?" Maze asks. He turns and looks down at her, his jaw clenches and releases several times as he visibly struggles to control his breathing.  His sigh is melancholy and she bristles at the sound of it, "Because I had to try, Maze.  I hoped for so long this...task set by my father was more than just unending punishment."
1. Chapter 1

Mazikeen stalks down the corridor, barbed whip in hand and the click of her boot heels echoing off the stone floor and walls. She reaches her destination and throws open the door without knocking. "We need to go," she states flatly to the room's large occupant. Her eyes flash as blood-red lips curl back from white teeth, "He's driving me crazy," she snarls.

A black eyebrow arches at the female demon, and its large owner remains silent, his brilliant green eyes closing again as he turns back to the soul he's questioning. Mazikeen huffs in frustration and crosses her arms over her chest impatiently but she knows her sibling's work should not be rushed if this individual is to be of future use.

" _You know how long it's taken for me to find someone with this information, yes? I need more time_ ," he replies silently.

" _We're_ _ **out**_ _of time, Niall,"_ she answers. " _Lucifer says we go now."_

Niall hangs his head for a moment and exhales softly. "Fine," he replies aloud as his tail twitches in agitation. "This one won't be on me, then," he growls. Closing his eyes more tightly, he sharpens his focus on the soul in front of him, slicing like a scalpel into its psyche to pull as many details of their destination as possible. While alive, Ricky Donato was a well-heeled criminal. He held various real estate interests, ran a club that was a front for various illegal activities including drugs and prostitution, and he was well-connected politically.

Niall wades through and snatches all the information they will need: directions, names, cultural habits, resources...everything. Once he's done, he withdraws and sags for a moment in exhaustion. "I hate doing that," he harrumphs. He rakes a hand through his dark, curly hair, pausing to scratch absently at the base of one of his short, black horns.

After a long moment, Niall rises slowly to loom over his sibling, "We're leaving via The Hall, yes?"

Maze looks up and nods curtly, "Yes. We are to establish a safe location before summoning him to join us."

The larger demon nods, a rueful grin on his face exposing elongated canines, "A good plan. Not his, I take it?"

"No,"' she replies with an answering smile. "He wants to come right out with us but I won't let him. He finally listened, but he pouted about it."

Niall chuckles as he steps into the hallway, "He would. I'll meet you in The Hall. Let me grab my gear."

Maze gives his tail a tug before leaping out of reach, "Hurry up before he changes his mind. Again."

Lucifer Morningstar paces excitedly in front of his throne, glancing at the gleaming obsidian door to his Hall every time a stray sound catches his ear. "Where are they?" he mutters to himself as he adjusts the cuff of his shirt.

He absently brushes dust from his suit, taking a moment to once again appreciate Sy Devore's work. _Ever since that man came to Hell, The Devil's look has been seriously upgraded. No more dresses for me, thank you very much._ He smiles to himself, _I should speed up his recycle date so he can join me topside sooner rather than later._

The Devil redirects his pacing to touring along the perimeter of his Hall, absently stroking his long, elegant fingers over the tomes lining the shelved walls. Leather-bound volumes, cloth, vellum and parchment scrolls line the room, each one read more than a few times by their owner. Eternity is a long time.

 _I wonder what we'll find there_ , he muses. _Certainly the souls who have come here have provided a modicum of updates over the past several thousand years, but actually experiencing it will be..._

The door opens and he looks up sharply, an expectant smile on his face. Lucifer's wings, ever a barometer of his mood, flap behind him for a moment. Their quick movement ruffles his hair and their soft glow is brighter than the candles lighting the space. "Well? Are you ready?" he asks, fairly bouncing on the balls of his feet.

Maze strides into the center of the room, a rough leather bag slung over her shoulder, "Yes. Niall is on his way, then we can get this started."

Lucifer claps his hands together, "Marvelous!"

The demon looks up at him, concern etched on her face, "I'll say this one more time, Lucifer. I don't like this idea you have for a...what is it you call it? _Vacation?_ There are too many variables. Threats I'm unfamiliar with. How can I keep you safe when humans are so unpredictable?"

He smiles gently as he steps forward, a large hand strokes the exposed bone of her cheek, "It will be fine, Mazie. WE will be fine." He pauses when he sees she is unswayed. "They're only humans, darling. They can't really harm us. And don't forget Niall and I are also quite capable of taking care of ourselves."

She snorts dismissively as her hands absently travel to rest on the curved daggers on her hips, "Sure you can."

The door opens again and they look up to see Niall enter, his own pack hanging off his shoulder and a pair of long swords crossed over his back. He nods respectfully at Lucifer, "Sire." The demon drops his pack to the floor and steps closer, "Maze reports you've agreed to allow us to scout ahead and prepare for your arrival."

Lucifer shrugs, "Yes, darling, I've capitulated for the moment, so you should both get moving before I change my mind again." The Devil stretches his wings toward his creations, "Each of you take a feather. From the middle, if you please."

Maze frowns, "What do we need these for?"

"They will allow you to pass to the other plane," Lucifer responds. "One way only, I'm afraid. You won't be able to return unless I show up and give you another."

He winces as they follow his instructions then shakes his wings again to settle the remaining feathers back into place. The demons look at each other then to their creator. "Collect your belongings and follow me," Lucifer commands as he turns his back and walks toward his throne.

"If you could get out before, Lucifer, why did you wait so long?" Maze asks.

He turns and looks down at her, his jaw clenches and releases several times as he visibly struggles to control his breathing. His sigh is melancholy and she bristles at the sound of it, "Because I had to _try_ , Maze. I hoped for so long this...task set by my father was more than just unending punishment. That there was some _point_ to it all." Lucifer turns his back and sighs heavily as he slides long elegant fingers along the shining surface of his throne, "Redemption, perhaps."

Lucifer glances back over his shoulder, "Seems that chap had it right when he said to abandon hope upon entering this place."

Niall steps forward and rests a hand on his shoulder, "What changed, sire?" He pauses before continuing softly, "Why now?"

Lucifer looks up into Niall's emerald eyes and the demon sees the lines of his face grow tight. Lucifer's mouth turns down as his dark eyes widen to give him an almost crazed look. The shoulder under Niall's hand shivers just a bit. " _ **I**_ changed."

He steps away and looks around, raising his arms and wings together to indicate the great expanse that is the Lord of Hell's Grand Hall. The place where all supplicants bow before him to plead for their release. "This... _place_...is as much a prison for me as it is for the miserable, cretinous wretches who are sent here. We are _all_ trapped here for eternity."

He sighs as he looks back at his creations, "I've thought long and hard and realize that I did nothing to deserve this. I am not evil - I never was!"

Lucifer juts his chin out defiantly and draws himself up to his full height. The Lord of Hell is tall, but still significantly smaller than Niall if one were to discount the wings, "And if my father expects that I will remain here any longer, he shall have to think again. I am quitting Hell and he will simply have to find another warden." _Take THAT, Dad!_

Niall nods politely, "Of course, my lord. We are privileged to assist you on this...adventure." He taps his head, "I believe I have the information we need to make the transition as smooth as possible."

Lucifer grins happily, "Excellent news!" He steps to the back of his throne, "Let's begin, shall we?"

Maze and Niall hoist their packs and follow him.

Lucifer removes the key from around his neck and hands it to Maze, "When you are ready, draw the pentagram like I showed you, then rest this key in the center. The key is connected to the ring and I will find you. Call my name and I will come, got it?"

The demon looks up at him and nods as she hangs the necklace around her own neck, "Got it."

He smiles softly and strokes her cheek, "And make sure you gloss over the more frightening aspects of your visage, darling. Don't want to send the humans screaming as soon as you arrive."

She snorts a laugh and her tongue snakes out to lick her teeth, "I don't know. Could be fun."

Lucifer takes Niall's hand and gives it an affectionate squeeze, "And you know where you're going, yes?" He rests his other hand against the side of Niall's head, burying his fingers in the demon's ebony locks, "You have your destination set in here?"

Niall nods and leans his head into his sire's hand, "I do. It shouldn't take us long to get things set for your arrival."

Lucifer releases Niall and steps to the wall behind his throne. His eyes glow with the fires of Hell as his wings fully extend behind him, the appendages also becoming engulfed in flame. The temperature in the immediate area shoots up as he rests his hands on the wall. Maze and Niall step back in surprise as a crack opens and brilliant light comes pouring out. They look at each other, mouths slightly agape as Lucifer fairly vibrates with power.

"Go, darlings," Lucifer growls as he bows his head to focus his energy on holding the portal open.

Clutching her feather in one hand and the strap of her pack on the other, Maze steps into the glowing fissure with Niall right behind her.

As soon as he can no longer feel their presence, Lucifer releases the portal and collapses to the floor of his Hall. After he catches his breath, he sits with his back against the wall and begins to laugh.


	2. Chapter 2

Maze lands on her knees and draws her daggers, casting about for the source of the loud, unceasing crashing noise rolling over them. The ground beneath her is gritty and abrades her knees as it shifts beneath her weight. The wind caresses her skin as she crouches naked on the sand and whips her hair around her face, obscuring her vision. She snarls as the chilled air slices through her and raises small bumps on her skin.

 _Where the Hell is my gear?_ She wonders. _Dammit, Lucifer. One feather each? Should have grabbed an entire fist full,_ she grumbles. The demon looks down at her hands and is comforted to see that at least her daggers made the trip.

Scrubbing the hair back, she turns to see... _what IS that?_ she wonders. _Could that be...water?_

Hell's ocean of fire moves in a similar fashion, and Maze has certainly encountered small quantities of water in liquid form, but the idea of _this_ much water is fascinating. Compelling. Frightening. She's encountered souls whose idea of Hell was to do something called "drown" in such a body of water and it never occurred to her that it was something that _actually_ happened. After all, some of them have themselves repeatedly destroyed by mythical creatures that Lucifer swore never existed.

The assault on her understanding of What Is dances on nerves already strung tight by her discomfort over the mission. She growls as her dark eyes land on Niall a few feet away.

The larger demon is also on his knees in the dark, his tail whipping behind him in agitation. His head is cocked, holding one slightly-pointed ear higher than the other while his eyes remain closed. Listening. He tentatively sniffs the wind ruffling his curls then turns to look at her. " _Are you hurt?_ " he asks silently.

" _No, but my gear is missing and I'm pissed off,_ " comes her curt and equally silent reply. " _Do you know this place?_ "

Niall's emerald green eyes remain closed as he scans the information he pulled from the now-dead mafioso, " _Sort of. Hopefully our sire can bring our gear when he comes through._ " He cocks his head again and opens his eyes, extending one hand with the palm down to indicate she should stay put, " _We're not alone._ "

The infernals watch as a pair of humans walk past them, hands entwined and largely unaware of their surroundings. Niall releases the breath he was holding then slowly stands up to look around.

Maze joins him, wobbling slightly as she gains her feet and growling again as her hair is blown into her face. "Where do we go?" she asks aloud as she fingers a blade nervously and wrinkles her nose. _I don't like this. The air moves. And it stinks. My body feels...off. Heavy and off-balance. This was a bad idea._

They look around and see more humans walking along pathways not far from them, but the pair of demons has thus far gone unnoticed.

"Why don't they see us?" Maze asks quietly.

Niall looks far down to his sibling, "Because I don't want them to right now." He frowns, "but I can't do it for much longer, so we need to get moving." He looks down at his naked body, confusion written across his face. "I feel...strange. Slow."

Maze gives him a sharp nod, "Yeah. Me, too. I don't like this place."

He points at their naked bodies, "We require raiment, like the humans." He points to a well-lit shop filled with colorful clothing, "This way."

The humans in the shop take no note of them, as Niall is still projecting into nearby mortal minds for them to be ignored. Maze quickly finds black leggings and a blood-red bikini top to fit her athletic figure but Niall struggles. He splits two pairs of lounge pants trying to cram his massive, seven-foot body into them and growls angrily in frustration.

Finally, he stalks up to an employee and stops projecting for a moment, "Clothe me," he demands as he looks down at the much-smaller human male.

"Whoa! Dude! You're naked!" he exclaims in surprise. "And...how are you all of a sudden right in front of me?" He steps back and shakes his head hard, "Damn, I told Joel not to use that stuff in the brownies," he mutters and turns away.

Niall rests a massive hand on the human's shoulder and turns him around, "I require clothing, human. Attend me."

The man blinks at him then squints as he leans closer, "So, you're, like...real?"

Maze hides the scarier half her face and steps forward, "Bring clothing for him," she commands.

The human shrugs as he indicates Niall's size, "Dude, you're...like...big." His eyes flick up and down the tall demon, "Totally huge. We don't have anything to fit you here." He thumbs to the right, "Try the big and tall shop a few doors down." He pauses then reaches for a beach towel and hands it to Niall, "wrap up in this before you go, man. Cops'll pick you up with your junk out this far from Venice Beach."

Niall throws the towel over his shoulder and they turn to walk away but the man taps his arm, "No, man, around your wai...shit! You have a TAIL! Whoa! That's so cool! Is that a prop? Who did the work, 'cause that is _way_ realistic!" Without realizing he's doing it, the human leans forward to reach for Niall's tail.

The tall demon swishes the appendage away from the man's hand, "I _beg_ your pardon."

Maze snickers as her eyes rove over the man, "I think he wants to have sex with you, Niall." Her postures shifts dangerously as she licks her lips, "I'm game."

The man blushes and jumps backward, "What? Dude, no! Sorry - I also work part-time at a prop shop in Culver City, so I'm kind of a nerd about this stuff." He points at Niall's tail, " _That_ is some sick work."

The topic of conversation twitches impatiently and the demon looks at his sibling in confusion, " _What in our sire's name is this human prattling on about?_ " Niall returns to the human, "We must go."

"Right!" the human responds then points again. "Hey - towel goes around the waist."

Niall nods, "Right," then follows the instructions before the pair of demons walks to the next shop. He is able to find a pair of jeans that fits and he rips a hole in the back for his tail. A dark purple button-up shirt soon follows and they are quickly on their way.

Following the example of the humans around them, they remain on a smooth path for a bit then turn the corner to a darkened space between two tall structures. Niall sags against the side of one and pants heavily for a few moments. Sweat has broken on his brow and Maze scowls at him, narrowing her dark eyes, "What's wrong?" she demands.

He narrows his green eyes and waits to catch his breath before responding, "It's hard with so many of them around," he rasps. "We need to find Donato's home and secure a position before calling to our sire."

Maze gives a sharp nod, "Of course." She glances around as the swarm of humanity takes no note of their presence. "Look, just put your tail away, hide your horns a little better and you don't have to glamour us to avoid being seen. The humans won't care."

Niall raises his eyebrows and looks down at his sibling, "You're sure?"

She looks again, "Yeah. I can hide my face while you hide your tail and horns. Then we just act like we belong."

He takes a deep breath, "Alright. Worth a shot. I guess if they notice, I can make us disappear again."

Maze smiles, "Exactly." Plan in place, she morphs her face to cover the decomposition of one side.

Niall unzips his jeans and tucks his tail down into one side to run along his leg, then leaves his shirttail out to cover the opening in the back. He ruffles his hair so the curls stand a bit taller to hide his horns then looks down, "How do I look?"

The smaller demon snickers, "Like a pathetic human. Perfect. Let's go."

They step back onto the sidewalk and Niall scans to see if any mortals notice them. All he finds are silent comments on his "hot girlfriend" and his height. He grins down at Maze and has to agree, "The humans find you attractive," he whispers.

The sway of her hips becomes slightly more pronounced as she smiles in response, "Of course they do."

Niall laughs softly then directs them away from the beach, farther into the city. Walking down a darkened street, he senses a pair of humans behind them with ill intent. " _Beware, Maze,_ " he cautions silently.

"What have we here?" a male voice snickers. "Pretty boy and his prettier girlfriend. Where you going so fast, pretty boy? Ain't you got no shoes?"

The demonic siblings continue walking but the humans behind them pick up their pace until one reaches out to grab Niall by the arm, "I'm talking to you, asshole."

Niall stops but doesn't turn around, " _Maze, these humans mean to harm us. Should we..._ "

" _Kill them?"_ she interrupts. " _Of course. Our mission is too important to be delayed._ "

Niall nods, sadly, " _I don't want to hurt them..._ "

She scoffs, " _Actions have consequence, Niall. If we've learned nothing else from Lucifer, it is that. They're asking for it._ "

He nods again and huffs a sad breath, " _You're right. And thank you._ " The large demon turns slowly to address the man still holding his arm. "May I help you...gentlemen, is it?" He asks with a polite smile.

His assailant laughs, an ugly grating sound like something from a lesser demon, "Ya hear that, Don? He wants to HELP us!"

Don snickers as he approaches, licking his lips while he grins at Maze, "Yeah, I heard him Ray. You can _help_ us, asshole. Give us your wallet _and_ your girlfriend."

Ray produces a knife and waves it near Niall's chest, "Wallet, now. Or you'll be dead and can't watch while we take turns with the pretty lady here."

Maze starts laughing then looks at Niall, " _You hunger,_ " she says silently.

Niall's grin grows to expose his elongated canines, then he licks his teeth, "Now that you mention it..." he replies aloud. He mentally reaches out to Ray and violently crashes into the man's mind.

For his part, Ray drops his knife, hits his knees, and grabs his head with his hands, "What the Hell?! Oh my God, my head!"

Niall issues a dark chuckle, his tail twitching down the leg of his jeans, "Hell, indeed."

Startled, Don turns to look at his partner in crime and is stunned by the force of Maze's hand on the front of his throat. The woman growls low and dangerous as she reveals her full face, "Don't. Move." Don tries to swallow and he can't, so he settles for wetting himself.

Maze wrinkles her nose at the acrid scent rising from the now-wet human she's holding, "What is _that_?" She looks at Niall, "It's...leaking. And it smells awful. Is this some sort of defense humans have?"

He grimaces as he looks over to see the wet spot on the front of Don's pants, "I don't know. Maybe?" He shrugs as he examines his captive, "This one isn't doing it. Maybe yours is broken or something."

Niall lifts Ray by the throat and shakes him like a ragdoll to amplify the man's terror. Ray's eyes land on Maze and he opens his mouth to scream. He finds he is unable because of the larger demon's grip on his trachea. Just as the human's fear reaches a fever pitch, Niall closes his eyes and inhales deeply.

With a dangerous smile, he drags the man's face closer and purrs as he gives Ray's mouth a kittenish lick, "Tell Satan we arrived safely," he whispers. Niall kisses him, plunging his tongue into his would-be assailant's mouth and literally sucking the life out of him.

Don watches in horror and violently squirms in his attempt to free himself. Maze laughs and leans in to nip his ear, "Niall _is_ pretty, isn't he? Don't worry. You'll get a kiss in just a minute. He's gooooood that way." She leans her body back away from Don in disgust as he wets himself again, "Ew. Stop doing that!" She looks a Niall, "Can you hurry up over there? This one is leaking again."

Niall drops Ray's corpse to the ground and reaches over for Don, careful to avoid the lower half of the man's body, "Let's put you out of your misery, shall we?" Don is quickly dispatched and discarded.

Niall wipes his mouth, "Ugh, that was foul." He casts about to regain his bearings then moves forward, "Come on. We're almost there."

After a few more blocks, they round a corner and see a line of humans standing next to a building. Maze looks up, "What are they doing?"

Her sibling mentally scans the area then looks down, "They are waiting to be allowed entry into this structure." Niall focuses on the information from Ricky Donato, "This is something called a "club." Humans gather to...revel in such places. My informant was the proprietor and lived high above. We need to get up there."

Maze grins while she slowly twirls her daggers, adjusting to their feel on this plane, "The humans look unarmed. I can get us in."

Niall rests a large, warm hand on her shoulder, "Let's try for subtlety this time, shall we? If the plan is for us to reside here for a short time, we should do what we can to make that easier, yeah?"

She rolls her eyes and sighs heavily as she slides her knives back into the waistband of her leggings, "Fine. What's the plan?"

He observes the people in line a moment longer, "Follow me." He looks down at Maze with a smirk, "Sway your hips again. The humans seem to like that."

She grins as she smoothes her hands down her body, "Let's go."

The demonic pair strides to the front of the line with confidence. Niall notices some irritation among the humans ( _where the Hell do they think_ _ **they're**_ _going_? and _beach bums - they aren't even wearing shoes!_ ) but also appreciation of the sight they make. _As compared to them, we_ _ **are**_ _rather striking, he thinks. This bodes well._

As they approach the door where the line seems to begin, they encounter a tall, well-muscled human who appears to be checking each person before they go in. Niall consults Ricky's memory before he steps forward and the man looks up, "Back of the line, buddy."

Niall smiles down, "He thinks he can challenge the mighty Porthos with a sword..."

The bouncer looks up and blinks, "The mighty who?"

The demon's smile grows, "Don't tell me you've never heard of me."

The human cocks his head and smirks, "The world's biggest windbag?"

Niall laughs, "Little pimple... meet me at 1 o'clock and bring a long wooden box."

The bouncer smiles as he stands back to allow Niall and Maze to pass, "Bring your own..."

Quite pleased with their ability to navigate this obstacle without hurting another of these delicate humans, Niall ducks his head and steps into the club with Maze close behind. He and Maze are engulfed by throbbing sound, flashing lights and warm bodies. Humans press and writhe against each other everywhere the pair looks.

Maze's looks around warily, " _What now?_ " she asks silently.

Niall's face breaks into a brilliant smile as he closes his eyes and inhales deeply. The spaded end of his tail twitches along his leg as he moans aloud in pleasure, "Ooooh...Maze...this is...oh, sire..."

She snickers as she grabs his arm, "Pay attention. Where do we go?"

He blinks his brilliant green eyes open, "What?" He looks around and grins rapturously, "It smells soooo gooood in here, Mazie." His tail twitches again. Niall's attention is captured by a scantily clad woman carrying a tray who brushes against him as she moves toward the bar.

She looks up at him with a sultry grin, "Oooh _hi_ there. I'm Delilah," she purrs. "Let me know if I can get you anything." Her eyes issue a silent invitation and she walks away. His lips part in a carnivorous grin as he steps forward to comply.

The smaller demon's grip on her sibling's arm grows stronger and she shoves him against the wall. She slaps Niall's face, "Hey! We're not here for that. Mission, remember?"

He blinks again and shakes his head to clear the haze, "Right. Sorry. This place is..." he looks around longingly, "...overwhelming. Euphoric." Niall closes his eyes and takes a deep breath to center himself then slowly releases it. "Okay, let's go. This way," he gestures and moves across the room then up the stairs.

The pair approaches a door without a handle and they look around to figure out how to enter. Niall cocks his head as he spies the buttons next to it, then he presses the one on top. The button lights up and the doors open to reveal a small chamber. He focuses on Ricky's memories again then nods, "come on, Maze."

The female demon balks, "I'm not getting into that box," she snarls. "It's a trap."

Niall arches an ebony brow and looks down at her, "Nobody knows we're here, Maze. Our sire said it's likely nobody knows Donato is even dead yet because of the time difference. There will be no ambush," He asserts. Her postures shifts, still uncertain. "Look," he continues, "If we come across anybody up there, I promise _you_ get to kill this time."

Her face brightens and she draws her daggers as she strides into the elevator, "Well alright, then," she smiles. "Let's go." The door to the elevator slides closed and the compartment doesn't move. The demons look at each other and Maze shrugs, "Don't look at me. You're the one with the intel."

Niall stares at the keypad for a moment, then presses the topmost button, marked "P," but nothing happens. He frowns then pushes the button immediately below it. The light comes on and the elevator begins its ascent.

Startled by the sudden movement, the pair sinks crouches slightly, prepared for danger. The elevator stops and the doors slide open to reveal a room with marble floors and three sets of double doors, one in front, one to the left and one to the right. Niall frowns, "This isn't where we need to be."

He steps back into the elevator and looks up at the ceiling. It's not far above his head, so he reaches up and pushes a tile. Smiling as it gives, he slides it over then hauls himself up.

"Where the Hell do you think you're going?" Maze whispers, still on guard for an ambush.

Niall reaches his hand down, "We can climb higher in here. There are metal ropes and I see another door above us."

Maze grabs his hand and he pulls her onto the top of the elevator with him. She looks up, "Let me go first. If you fall, I don't want your giant ass flattening me."

He winks down at her, "You like my giant ass!"

She snorts derisively as she sheaths her daggers and begins to climb, hand-over-hand to the next door. A small ledge juts out and she's able to stand on it while she pries the doors open.

" _Can you see anything?_ " Niall calls up silently.

Maze draws her daggers again and sticks her head into the brightly-lit space then looks down at her sibling, " _Come up,_ " she replies silently. " _I hear someone...it sounds female._ "

Niall quickly joins her at the elevator entrance and crouches quietly as he reaches out mentally and listens carefully.

" _Oh God, I killed him. Oh God. Oh God..."_ a soft voice whimpers.

" _Human...definitely female,_ " he replies. " _She seems to be in distress._ "

They creep forward quietly, squinting as they take in the brightness of the living space. Everything is white. The floors and the walls. The ceiling is reflective and gleaming surfaces assault their eyes everywhere they look. A far cry from the dimness of their home.

A clear wall along the opposite end of the space affords a view of the night and lights of the human city below, and they stop to stare for a long moment.

A choked sob returns their attention to the task at hand. "Let me go in first," Niall says silently. "I'll try to calm her."

Maze scowls as she fingers the point of her dagger, "Why not just kill her? Put her out of her misery."

The taller demon shakes his head, "We're going to need help, Maze. We can't just kill everyone we come across."

She shrugs and looks bored with the conversation already, "Works for me. But, whatever. Do what you're going to do."

Niall follows the sound of crying to a doorway and quietly sticks his head into the room. Ricky Donato's corpse is laying on the bed, an ugly wound on his head leaving no doubt about how he met his end. A small woman with long, golden hair sits on the floor crying. Her dress is torn and scratches mark her breast. Shards of glass sparkle on the white carpet next to her. He dips into her thoughts for a moment and frowns. _Ricky clearly got what he deserved_.

She looks up to see Niall gazing at her quietly and screams.

"I mean you no harm," he says softly as he raises a hand in a placating gesture. The screaming doesn't stop, so he catches her eye and asserts his will, " _Calm, little one._ " The screaming reduces itself to whimpering hiccups as she stares at him in terror.

He lowers himself to the floor so they are at the same level, but he does not approach. "He hurt you," the demon observes quietly.

The woman's red-rimmed, brown eyes stare up at him and she nods slowly. "Wh...who are you? Are you here for me? Oh God! I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry! He...he...I tried to tell him no..." her attempt to communicate is cut off as her sobs begin anew. She buries her face in her hands and shakes uncontrollably.

Niall leans forward and she scoots away, so he eases back to sit on the floor. "I'm not here for you." His brows come down to express regret, "I'm sorry he hurt you." He watches as she struggles to control her shaking then flashes her a soft smile, "Honestly, my dear, you did me a favor."

Her eyebrows go up as she widens her eyes, "I...I did?"

Niall nods, "Indeed. Let's just say that his death makes life easier for me and my...associates."

She starts to relax and looks at him more closely, "Are you from the Russian mob? You don't sound Russian. Don't look it either."

The demon quickly searches the information he drew from the dead mafioso then shakes his head, "Not Russian. I won't complicate your life with the details, but I will ask if you can help me."

Concern darkens her face as she shifts away from him, "How?"

He gives her what he hopes is a kind smile, careful to not expose the sharp points of his canines, "I'm not from Russia, but you probably figured out I'm not from here, yes?"

She nods but doesn't reply.

"My...sister, I suppose you'd call her, is in the other room and...there is another who will be joining us. Here," Niall gestures with his hand to indicate the apartment in general. "Ricky Donato provided me with information we need to establish ourselves, but we need more help."

Her eyebrows come down and she cocks her head, "Like an assistant?"

Niall nods, black curls bouncing, "Yes. An...assistant."

She looks at the corpse on the bed, then back to the demon in front of her, "And if I help, you won't tell the cops?"

 _Cops? What are "cops?" I have no intention of "calling" anyone, but she doesn't need to know that._ He smiles, "I will not tell these... _cops_...you speak of." He stands up, towering over her while she remains on the floor.

She cranes her neck to look up at him, _Don't have much choice here,_ she thinks to herself. "Alright. You've got a deal."

Niall's smile grows as he reaches out his hand to help her stand, "What is your name, my dear?"

She stares up into his emerald green eyes as she rises from the floor and swallows heavily, "Catherine Bianchi, but everyone calls me Cat."

He gives her hand a gentle, warm squeeze, "A pleasure to meet you, Cat. I'm Niall." He winks and leans forward with a grin, "Everyone calls me Niall."

Cat chuckles then looks down at the body on the bed. "We need to..." she trails off and Niall feels another wave of horror washing over her.

He raises a hand to her shoulder, "We'll figure that out. First," he gestures at her torn dress, "does your wound require care?"

Cat shakes her head, "I'll be okay. I'll grab one of his shirts to put on over this." Her face colors in anger, "Not like he'll need them any more."

Niall gives her shoulder a gentle squeeze as he catches her gaze, "He got what he deserved. I _promise_ you this. Satan knew the moment he arrived in Hell."

The woman gives a reflexive shiver as she stares up at him, then she shrugs. A rueful smile on her face, "Yeah, I wish all that Hell stuff was true. But it's not. Thanks for trying, though."

He cocks his head, "You don't believe in Hell?"

Cat looks at him like he's simple, "Why should I? It means there's a Heaven, too. And that there's some "God" who's supposed to be looking out for us." She gestures at her torn dress, "This shit wouldn't happen if _that_ were true, right?"

Stunned, Niall's hand drops from the woman's shoulder and he steps back. After a long moment, he shakes his head and gestures for her to join him in the other room.

"I'm going to get cleaned up," she says. "I'll be right out."

Niall approaches Maze and tells her about the woman in the other room. "She doesn't believe in Hell or Heaven," he whispers, still in shock. "We've come across plenty of souls who were surprised to be in Hell," he continues, "But I always thought it was because they were surprised they didn't go to Heaven. Not that they were surprised it exists at all."

Maze shrugs, "This could work to our advantage. We can all pass for human easy enough. If we blend in, it will allow us to do more."

He frowns, "You mean hide in plain sight?"

"Yeah," she agrees. "At some point, someone will notice that The Lord of Hell is walking the Earth. The celestials will probably know as soon as he breaks out. God doesn't do anything fast, so it could be a millennium before anything happens. But if the humans find out too soon, our stay here will be very short."

Niall nods in agreement then they are distracted when the door opens.

Cat steps out, looking more put together than she was a moment ago, with one of Ricky's shirts buttoned up over her torn dress. She squares her shoulders and looks at the two demons, "Alright. How can I help?"


End file.
